Jesus gives His disciples two examples of humility. Why does He do this? Because His disciples do not have humility. Because they are not humble. They have been arguing “with one another about who was the greatest” (v34). They apparently care more about themselves than they do about each other. Their actions show that they are self-centered and selfish. Jesus teaches His disciples that they cannot enter the heavenly kingdom if they remain that way.
The first example of humility that Jesus gives His disciples is a child (v36). Why a child? In New Testament Jewish society, children are towards the bottom of the social ladder. Not the very bottom, but closer to the bottom than to the top. In New Testament Jewish society, social position is partly based on age. The older a person is, the more respect that person is given. The younger a person is, the less respect that person is given. Thus, the child in New Testament Jewish society. The child is small and weak. The child is not big and strong. More importantly, the child is not first. The child is cared for, but the child is not first. Since the disciples have been arguing “with one another about who was the greatest” (v34), they apparently each want to be first. This makes them self-centered and selfish. Jesus teaches His disciples that they cannot enter the heavenly kingdom if they remain that way. But, what if the disciples cannot always be “last of all and servant of all” (v35)? What if they, sometimes, want to be first? This is the reason why Jesus gives His second example.
The second example of humility that Jesus gives His disciples is Himself. He tells His disciples that he will be killed (v31). His disciples do not understand what He means (v32). Why? Because they associate Jesus with being the greatest. They associate Jesus with being big and strong. They do not associate Jesus with being small and weak. They associate Jesus with being first. They do not associate Jesus with being last. By giving Himself as an example of humility, Jesus teaches His disciples that He must be “last of all and servant of all” (v35) in order to compensate for all of the times when His disciples are not. Jesus cannot be the greatest in New Testament Jewish society if He is killed for His disciples’ sins. Jesus cannot be big and strong in New Testament Jewish society if He is killed for His disciples’ sins. Jesus must be small and weak. He must be last. He must care more about others than He does for Himself. As a result, Jesus’ Disciples can enter the heavenly kingdom. Jesus teaches His disciples this lesson.
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
– Mark 9:30-37
